An Armed Citizenry: ...In 2002, when Shelley Parker discovered the Capitol Hill home she had recently bought was located on a block where men gathered to drink beer and possibly sell drugs, she got a dog for protection, installed a security camera and joined an anti-crime patrol. These actions earned her taunts and death threats from the men and vandalism to her home and car. Seeking advice on protecting herself, a police officer told Ms. Parker to get a gun. This was unhelpful, since most gun ownership in Washington was illegal... http://www.washtimes.com/news/2009/jan/03/an-armed-citizentry/ --- Seattle Statistics Don't Support Gun Ban: Homicide statistics for 2008 in Seattle do not justify a proposal by anti-gun Mayor Greg Nickels to ban legally-carried handguns from public property, nor his plan to lobby for a change in the state's preemption law, the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation said today. "Less than half of Seattle's homicides in 2008 involved firearms," noted SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, "and about one-third were gang-related. Yet Mayor Nickels would have the public believe there is a dire need to violate state statute and the civil rights of law-abiding gun owners, by challenging a state preemption statute that has stood for more than two decades as a model of efficiency and effectiveness that other states have copied." Gottlieb noted that Seattle's 28 homicides pale in comparison to those logged in similar-sized cities, where concealed carry is forbidden. Milwaukee, WI reported 71 homicides in 2008, and Washington, D.C. posted 186 killings. Only in Seattle may citizens legally carry concealed handguns. In Baltimore, MD, where it is virtually impossible to get a carry license, there were 234 slayings last year... http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/2919919 --- Election Didn't Need to Trigger Gun Rush?: ...Democrats won the White and House and decisive control of Congress on Nov. 4 and, to hear it from firearms merchants, people rushed to stock up on guns. Many are worried the government will take gun rights away, you see. We hope these gun buyers take classes in firearms safety, but first we would send them back to the classroom for some civics lessons. If ever there was a time that the Second Amendment is in fine shape - as it should be - this is it. After all, the U.S. Supreme Court - the highest court in the land - just this summer delivered a landmark decision on gun rights. It rejected a ban on individual gun use in Washington, D.C., and other cities. Governments still have powers to regulate gun possession, but not to forbid it... (Heller, by intent, was a very narrowly crafted case and seems to leave plenty of room for federal regulation of firearm ownership and use, specifically for certain classes of firearms. It was also a limited victory, won only by the narrowest of margins. Some have argued that the biggest victor in Heller was Big Brother himself because the decision seemingly assured voters that his regime would be limited in what further infringements it could impose. One can only hope that the ruling party realizes that the public is voting with its wallets, more decisively than it did with its ballots, that it wants to preserve the RKBA and that the ballots could go the other way in 2010.) http://www.mlive.com/opinion/jackson/index.ssf/2009/01/election_didnt_need_to_trigger.html --- Speaking of Heller...: ... To date, the lower federal courts have ruled in over 60 different cases on the constitutionality of a wide variety of gun control laws. There have been suits against laws banning possession of firearms by felons, drug addicts, illegal aliens, and individuals convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors. The courts have ruled on the constitutionality of laws prohibiting particular types of weapons, including sawed-off shotguns and machine guns, and specific weapons attachments. Defendants have challenged laws barring guns in school zones and post offices, and laws outlawing "straw" purchases, the carrying of concealed weapons, possession of an unregistered firearm, and particular types of ammunition. The courts have upheld every one of these laws... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-winkler/the-new-second-amendment_b_154783.html --- 21st-Century Guns Unforeseen by Founders: ...Could our Founding Fathers have predicted the advancements in firearms design that have put us in this quandary (e.g., rapid-fire automatic weapons, armor-piercing projectiles, shoulder-held cannons, and on and on)? And could they have envisioned the proliferation of such weapons? In their time, they were more concerned with defending their new country against England and others wanting our land, and against Indians trying to reclaim theirs. I do not believe they were so prescient that they intended to include such weapons in the Second Amendment... (Could our Founding Fathers have predicted the advancements in the technology of speech and press that have put us in this quandary (e.g., radio, television, internet, etc.)? And could they have envisioned the proliferation of such technology? I do not believe that they were so prescient that they intended to include such technology in the First Amendment.) http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/012009/01022009/435355 --- Ohio Newspaper Misleads, Again: The Columbus Dispatch editorial "Kowtow to the NRA - Sheriffs got a raw deal when lawmakers backed down on concealed carry fee" demonstrates that the Dispatch editors are still more interested in spreading lies to prop up their failed ideas rather than excepting the truth and reporting the news. It is important to note that the Dispatch has been contacted many times by Buckeye Firearms Association leaders about gun-related stories full of errors, omissions, or lies. That they continue to write stories that are factually inaccurate proves they are intentionally attempting to mislead their readers about firearms and the legislative process... http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/6367 --- Ohio Police to Sell, Trade Confiscated Firearms: ... In Sandusky, police are trading in a machine gun made popular by Prohibition-era gangsters along with other confiscated firearms for new weapons and gear worth over $60,000. "We decided it was time to turn these things over while they still have value," said acting Police Chief Charlie Sams. Forest Park police in suburban Cincinnati have about 300 firearms collected over decades through court-ordered seizures, donations and family heirlooms that owners no longer wanted. The collection includes MP-40 submachine guns used by German soldiers during World War II... http://www.ohio.com/news/ap?articleID=1367172&c=y --- Georgia to Consider Ammo Serialization: One of the bills the Senate will consider when they convene is an ammunition coding bill. It would require manufacturers to engrave a unique code on the bottom of each bullet, so it can be traced. A measure that could help in the prosecution of people using handguns to commit crimes. A state senator from Decatur has proposed legislation that would require an ammunition coding and database system. It would require a unique serial number or marking on each bullet. Many gun rights enthusiasts say the bill is a violation of their second amendment rights... (Perhaps the biggest issue with this commercially promoted scheme is that it will vastly increase the cost of ammunition.) http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=9609618&nav=menu37_2 --- Minnesota to Consider Lead-Bullet Ban: A Minnesota lawmaker says she will introduce legislation to restrict the use of lead ammunition. Recent studies found lead bullet fragments in venison, and a number of eagles have died from lead poisoning. Some hunters are voluntarily giving up lead bullets. Others say the whole issue is being blown out of proportion... http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/12/30/leadammo/ --- Arizona Offers Apprentice Hunting License: Effective Jan. 1, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering a new "Apprentice Hunting License" at no charge, to encourage existing hunters to become mentors and introduce a friend, neighbor, relative, or co-worker to the traditions and importance of hunting. The Apprentice License allows an already licensed hunter to take a beginner on an actual hunt - without the beginner having to buy a hunting license. The Apprentice License is free for residents and nonresidents and is valid for two consecutive days for the take of small game, fur-bearing, predatory and nongame mammals, nongame birds, and upland game birds. (To take migratory birds or waterfowl, the appropriate stamps are required at normal costs). The license is not valid for the take of big game... http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2009/jan/03/new_apprentice_hunting_license_offers_test_drive_n/ --- Oops, Wrong Lot: The lesson here is, don't mess with The King. Or at least don't mess with Elvis Smith. Around 5:30 p.m. today, Smith, 49, and his two brothers were cleaning up a lot in North Memphis when a man approached them with a gun. "He tried to rob them and one of the gentlemen had a handgun on him," Memphis police Lt. Jerry Gwyn said. "He exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The suspect lost the gun battle." The suspect was hit in the chest and leg but is expected to live. An investigation is under way, but Gwyn said it's unlikely Smith will face any charges. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/dec/28/elvis-1-robber-0-north-memphis-shootout/ --- One More Lead Oscar: A college student dressed in a vintage German military uniform who was fatally shot by police on New Year's Day was a harmless, eccentric history buff, his family and friends said Friday. Miles Murphy, a University of Washington senior, was shot several times at his apartment early Thursday after police said he pointed a rifle affixed with a bayonet at officers and refused orders to drop the weapon. Seattle police had converged on Murphy's apartment after receiving complaints that several men were firing rifle and shotgun rounds into the air. Murphy emerged from inside and pointed what was later identified as a World War II Kar 98 German infantry rifle at the officers, police said... http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/274359.php --- The Ten Manliest Firearms: This was a hard piece to write, because guns by definition are manly, except for Berettas, gold-plated TEC9s, .25 caliber pistols or anything made by the French. To simplify things, I have limited it to modern cartridge firearms a man might, can, and should collect and shoot. There are certainly other manly weapons, and you may have a different list. As long as the list contains nothing French, gold-plated, .25 or with pearl grips (which Patton correctly observed are the mark of a New Orleans pimp), it is a good list... (It is worth noting that the Soviet Union made extensive use of female snipers in WWII, with Lyudmila Pavlichenko and Nina Alexeyevna Lobkovskaya being the best known.) http://arthurshall.com/x_2007_manly_firearms.shtml --- Taliban Turns to Sniping: Taliban fighters increasingly are deploying precision marksmen to fire on U.S. troops at greater distances throughout opium-producing southern Afghanistan, according to the top two commanders for the southern region. he increased use of marksmen is the latest Taliban shift to asymmetrical warfare and away from confronting U.S. troops in conventional fights, the commanders told McClatchy Newspapers... http://www.azstarnet.com/news/274340 --- Potential Resource: This appears to be a new site; I presume that the database will grow in time... Our users include gun traders, collectors, dealers, pawn shops, law enforcement and insurance companies. If you have been a victim of gun theft please post your firearm on our site. If for some reason you suspect someone is trying to sell you a stolen firearm, search our database to see if it has been reported. It is the information provided on this site that ultimately deters the resale of a stolen weapon. (It usually takes a "connection" to get a gun "run" in NCIC.) http://www.stolenweapon.com/ --- From The Firearms Coalition: Just 2 items in this Alert: 1. Personal note and appeal from Jeff 2. Holder Confirmation Hearing scheduled for January 15!! Happy New Year!!! I hope you've enjoyed the holy days and gotten a bit of needed rest. As Mom commented yesterday when someone complained that their short vacation from work was not long enough: "Vacation? What's a vacation?" When you do the kind of work we do, it seems that there is no such thing as a day off. We did enjoy a nice family Christmas morning, (my 2-year old grandson really brought the Christmas spirit back to us this year) but by that afternoon she was busy processing mail from the last Hard Corps Report and trying to keep up with correspondence while I was working on new columns that were due and trying to build the coalition against the appointment of Eric Holder as Attorney General. It seems like there are always 5 or 6 other things that I need to be doing and I never can get around to all of them. I want to thank those who have provided financial support recently. Your contributions are all that allow us to continue in the fight, and continuing in the fight is all we want to do - as long as we can do it effectively. Every dollar we receive from our friends and supporters makes a real difference to us and we appreciate each one. Unlike the Brady Bunch and the Violence Policy Center, The Firearms Coalition is solely supported by member contributions. We don't have billionaire sugar-daddies and don't receive grants from big "charitable" foundations. We rely on you. Contributors can rest assured that there are no exorbitant salaries being paid around here and no expensive junkets being taken. I'll just say that it's a good thing that I inherited my dad's Scottish penny-pincher gene or else it would be doubtful that we'd be able to keep going. If you haven't made a contribution recently, now's a great time to do so; we've made special deals with some of our friends to allow us to offer your choice of the documentary DVD; In Search of the Second Amendment by Dave Hardy, the first book on the Heller decision; The Heller Case: Gun Rights Affirmed by Alan Korwin and David Kopel, or Steve Halbrooks latest book; The Founders' Second Amendment. With any contribution of $50 or more you can take your pick of the three titles. For a contribution of $120 or more you can have all three. Supplies are limited so don't wait. If we get a good response we will try to continue the offer, but there's no guarantee that we'll be able to so act now. Sarah Brady is telling Congress and the new President that you don't care any more and that any gun control law at all is OK with you as long as it doesn't include an all out ban on possession of all guns. She even has a poll claiming to show that a majority of gunowners support stricter gun laws and she's using that to convince Congress to push forward with her restrictive wish list. To battle this we need to pound Congress hard to let them know "We ain't dead yet!" That's why it's important that you act on the information below immediately! Congress is planning to hit the ground running in a few days. The new Congress will be sworn in on January 6 and the Senate Judiciary Committee has set a date of January 15 for confirmation hearings on Barack Obama's pick for Attorney General, Eric Holder. Gunowners need to be pushing members of the committee very hard to delay and block the confirmation. The Democrat members of the Judiciary Committee are all sworn enemies to the Second Amendment and are unlikely to be swayed at all by any firearms related arguments, but might hesitate to confirm based on Holders participation in the pardons of 16 Puerto Rican terrorists and billionaire financier and arms merchant Marc Rich. Any letters to Democrats should focus on those issues. On the Republican side, Arlen Specter, the ranking Republican on the committee has never been a friend to gun rights, but he owes his reelection to NRA support and has expressed concern over the pardon issues. Among the other Republicans, most are relatively reliable votes, but only Coburn has routinely taken a leadership role on Second Amendment matters. All of them need to be pressed hard to do everything they can to block the appointment. For more information about Eric Holder and why his appointment must be fought tooth and nail, go to our web site at www.FirearmsCoalition.org. I would also encourage NRA members to send letters to Chris Cox at NRA urging him to fight the Holder appointment with everything he's got. Remind him that a good fight over Holder could preempt much of the anti gun legislation being planned and keep us from having to fight numerous other battles. Remember that Chris works for you just like the politicians do. It's up to you to keep him and NRA moving in the right direction. If you know any NRA Directors, it's a good idea to be lobbying them as well. This is the type of fight that NRA tends to choose not to fight because it's not a likely winner and they want to preserve political capitol for more urgent matters. That would be a mistake. A good fight now, even in a losing cause, sends the message that the gun lobby isn't dead yet and builds much more political capitol than it expends. If NRA refuses to take the lead in the fight to stop the Holder appointment, the fight will be a fizzle and the result will be to increase the impression that the gun lobby is impotent - emboldening our enemies and guaranteeing tougher battles in the future. Here is the current roster for the Judiciary Committee: Democrats: Patrick J. Leahy Chairman, D-Vermont Edward M. Kennedy D-Massachusetts Joseph R. Biden, Jr. D-Delaware Herb Kohl D-Wisconsin Dianne Feinstein D-California Russell D. Feingold D-Wisconsin Charles E. Schumer D-New York Richard J. Durbin D-Illinois Benjamin L. Cardin D-Maryland Sheldon Whitehouse D-Rhode Island Republicans: Arlen Specter Ranking Member, R-Pennsylvania Orrin G. Hatch R-Utah Charles E. Grassley R-Iowa Jon Kyl R-Arizona Jeff Sessions R-Alabama Lindsey Graham R-South Carolina John Cornyn R-Texas Sam Brownback R-Kansas Tom Coburn R-Oklahoma Keep in mind that Biden will not be serving and Kennedy says he is going to resign from the committee (after 46 years.) That means that there will be two new Democrats added to the committee and so far there has been no indication of who they might be. Right now the first priority is to hit the members of the Judiciary Committee asking them to delay, side-track, or outright kill the Holder nomination. The secondary priority is to hit the rest of the Senate. Anyone can lobby any Committee member so don't hesitate to send a note to each member. Short and to the point is best and I suggest making your point in the Subject line if you're sending e-mail. Below is a sample, for e-mail or snail-mail, appropriate for almost any Republican: Subject: Reject Holder Nomination Dear Senator Specter; I am writing to urge you to oppose the confirmation of Eric Holder as Attorney General of the United States. Please do everything in your power to block Holder's confirmation. Mr. Holder has demonstrated extremely poor judgment, a lack of understanding of the Constitution, and a willingness to take questionable actions on behalf of the President. His appointment appears to be based more on political cronyism than on demonstrated skills and abilities. As Deputy Attorney General under Janet Reno, Mr. Holder actively worked to suppress information about the Waco tragedy. Later he played a key roll in the Elian Gonzalez fiasco, not only acting as the administration spokesperson, but apparently participating in the decision-making process which resulted in a Federal SWAT team's pre-dawn raid to seize the child at gunpoint and forcibly return him to Castro's Cuba. Mr. Holder's actions in both of those cases demonstrated a serious lack of judgment, a willingness to engage in duplicitous and deceptive rhetoric, and disrespect for justice and the rule of law. During his time in the AG's office and subsequently, Mr. Holder has consistently called for and endorsed stricter gun control laws and has espoused the theory that the Second Amendment does not protect an individual right. This theory was rejected by all 9 Justices of the Supreme Court. Such a fundamental misconstruction of an enumerated constitutional right demonstrates a serious lack of understanding of the meaning and intent of the Constitution and the philosophy upon which this nation is founded. It also demonstrates an unhealthy distrust of his fellow citizens. The nomination of Eric Holder is an insult to every American gun owner and Senate confirmation would add real injury to the insult. At the close of the Clinton administration, Holder was instrumental in facilitating the presidential pardons of Marc Rich and 16 FALN terrorists. Holder's lack of judgment in these cases and his willingness to do President Clinton's bidding in these matters demonstrates a critical lack of personal integrity and backbone. Those pardons could scarcely be justified at the time and have since been shown to have been motivated by financial and political gain. Eric Holder has proven that he does not have the understanding, judgment, or personal integrity to responsibly manage the extensive authority of the Attorney General's office. Members of the Senate are tasked with overseeing the appointment of senior executives and ensuring that the positions are filled with the very best qualified candidates available. Mr. Holder does not meet this standard and should not be confirmed. Past AG nominees have been blocked for inadvertently using undocumented workers as domestic workers in their homes. Mr. Holder's failings far exceed such errors. I ask that you demonstrate your commitment to positive changes in Washington and your stated support for Second Amendment rights by doing everything in your power to block the confirmation of Eric Holder as Attorney General. Please keep me apprised of your position and actions in this matter. Sincerely, Jeff Knox PO Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 ------------------------ I wrote a column to appear in Shotgun News on the subject of the Holder appointment, but if the Judiciary committee sticks to their planned schedule and no one places a "hold" on the nomination, the appointment could be confirmed before the magazine hits the newsstands. That makes it even more critical that everyone reading this take action today. The first thing to do is to forward this Alert to everyone in your e-mail address book. Next, modify the letter to make it your own, or just replace my name with your own and send a copy to each Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Their contact information can be found by clicking on their names at the following address: http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm Lastly, send a similar note, but more personalized, to both of your Senators urging them to reject the Holder appointment. I would also encourage you to send a similar message to President-Elect Obama by using the web form available at this site: http://change.gov/page/content/contact/ Please take action now and please do what you can to support our efforts financially. We can't do it without you. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox Director, The Firearms Coalition -- Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .